Historic floods force Italian Prime Minister to leave G7 summit early

Lũ lụt lịch sử, thủ tướng Ý phải rời hội nghị G7 sớm - Ảnh 1. — A road is submerged in floodwaters in the town of Lugo, Emilia-Romagna region, on May 19.

According to Reuters, torrential rains over the past few days have turned roads in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy into rivers. The disaster has killed at least 14 people, caused billions of euros in damage, and severely impacted the agricultural sector.

This is considered the worst flood in Italy in the last 100 years. The flooding has caused more than 305 landslides and damaged or disrupted more than 500 roads in the area.

Approximately 36,000 people were forced to leave their homes, and many others who remained in the flooded areas are living without electricity.

Mayor Matteo Lepore of Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, said on May 20 that it would take "months, and even years in some places" to repair roads and infrastructure.

According to the Italian agricultural association Coldiretti, more than 5,000 farms in the region, along with corn and grain fields, have been flooded.

The Italian government has pledged an additional 20 million euros (22 million USD) in emergency aid. Two weeks prior, the Italian government had allocated 10 million euros to deal with the flooding that killed at least two people. Luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari, based in Emilia-Romagna, also announced a donation of 1 million euros.

Meteorologists say that months of drought have dried up the land, reducing its ability to absorb water. Therefore, heavy rains easily lead to flooding.

The situation prompted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to announce on May 20th that she would leave the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, a day earlier than planned to lead the flood response efforts.

"Frankly, I couldn't be away from Italy at such a complicated time," Meloni told reporters, while also thanking the 5,000 people – from rescue workers to volunteers – who were mobilized to help those affected by the floods.

Ms. Meloni also thanked the G7 leaders for their offers of aid.

Prime Minister Meloni is expected to visit some of the hardest-hit areas on May 21st. On May 23rd, the Italian government will hold a cabinet meeting to decide on measures to help people cope with the emergency.